Somewhere Through the Blinding Stars
by PrincessPeace15
Summary: This is the story of Juliet, a teenage girl who is barely saved from an accident and brought to Space Colony ARK. Everyone on Earth assumed that Juliet was dead, so there was no way she could get home. Shadow and Maria made their guest feel at home until G.U.N. came and did something that changed Shadow from gentle to harsh... but in the end, will that truly change anything?
1. Chapter 1

Hello. I'm Juliet. Nice to meet you. Beautiful view of the stars, isn't it? You're wondering where we are, aren't you?

We are on Space Colony ARK. Now, we stand in one of its long, depressing, space-age hallways, staring out of a dirty window at the vast field of darkness and emptiness that is outer space. Honestly, I'm surprised it's still intact at this wing. Although I'm not nearly as surprised about that as I am that I'm still alive. I've had way too many close calls in my past.

That's what you're here for, huh? I'm not surprised. My past is quite a riveting tale.

It all began that autumn afternoon in 2014. I was, and now would be, a sophomore in high school. My class was told that we had the chance to go on a field trip to the International Space Station. As I boarded one of 6 space shuttles, my face beamed with excitement. I was almost hyperventilating because of how frightened, yet excited I was. So was everyone else. I boarded the same shuttle as my best friend, Emily. She usually always kept the same face every day, but she had a different face on today. I couldn't believe it. Science and art were pretty much the only two things she lived for, and this really tickled the science passion in her. I mean, we were going into OUTER SPACE! What did you expect?

But as soon as we went to leave for home, our shuttles were hit by passing asteroids and torn open. Right when I knew I was going to die, a sudden hand put a helmet on my head and a suit on my body. I witnessed Emily's death. I had tried to reach out for her hand, but whoever put the space gear on me pulled me away before I could save her. *sniff* She was the best friend I ever had and… Well, I don't quite remember what happened after that, for I was out cold. Apparently comatose for a short while, from what _he's _told me.

I later woke up to his face. He had crimson eyes, a tan muzzle, a black nose, and black fur with red streaks in it. He and another human girl were looking down at me with the utmost concern. The girl had blonde hair and a blue dress, along with sapphire-like eyes.

"W-Who are you?" I asked.

"I'm Maria," the girl answered with a smile. "That's Shadow. He's the one that saved you."

Shadow soon stepped away from my face and offered a hand so that I could stand up. I was a little shaky, but other than that, I was perfectly okay.

"How long was I out?" I asked.

"About 3 days," said the hedgehog.

"Is anyone looking for me?" I asked desperately.

"I'm afraid not," said Maria. "Shadow, shall we show her around the ARK?"

"Sure," Shadow nodded. "What's your name, by the way?"

"Juliet," I answered.

"Pretty name," Maria smiled. "Follow us!"

It was a long and tiring, yet extremely informative tour. I still remember marveling at these same windows…

But soon after I made myself at home here, catastrophe struck. Shadow was a gentle, caring creature until that horrid night… the night _they_ came… I had to run. There was nothing I could do…. I'd soon find out that it'd strike Shadow and make him become grouchy and harsh. To the point where I was scared to ever speak a word to him again…

**Author's note: Meet my first official OC, Juliet! How do you guys like this so far? Review it and let me know! It should be updated every Monday, and don't be surprised if it ends up really short. Worst case scenario is that it ends here as a oneshot…**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's note: I apologize if anything in here seems non-canon or whatever, but hey. It's in the fanfiction.**

Time seemed to fly by. Shadow, Maria, and I always seemed to find something to do, whether it be talking about our wishes, ideas, and lives whilst gazing at the distant stars, playing a game, or even exploring abandoned parts of the ARK we had never seen before.

One night, however, we found ourselves in the wrong place, at the wrong time. We were just going to see what we could find to explore, when we heard hurried footsteps in the distance. Even when we stopped, we still heard them. Obviously, I became a little scared, but Shadow quickly grabbed Maria's hand and ran as fast as he could with her, back the way we came. I followed as fast as I could. As long as my body could allow me. In a short sprint, I can run pretty well, but after that, running is not my forte. It was partly because of my ankles, but I was also purely out of shape. I lost track of Shadow and Maria, and I found that I couldn't go on much longer, so I found a nearby room and stepped into it, hiding behind a wall.

Pretty soon, I saw them go by. Men donned in dark attire, armed with guns. I peeked out a little from behind the door, seeing that they had stopped.

Shadow and Maria were up against the dead end that this hallway eventually led to. One of the men had his gun up.

I put my hand out, taking a breath, about ready to shout something.

Then, "BANG." I couldn't really comprehend anything else until Shadow jumped up and kicked the life out of all 4 men that were there. Then, he bent down over Maria, who was on the ground, oozing blood, and completely lifeless.

"Maria…" he began to cry.

I slowly inched toward him, soon bending down over her as well, beginning to shed tears myself. I never knew someone was actually out to get them. I cried not only at the fact that someone so young and innocent was murdered by a silver bullet. I also cried because I felt as if I could have done more. I began to mutter "I'm sorry," repeatedly under my breath, not to a point where anyone could hear.

Then, I looked up to Shadow. He had gotten over his fit of sobbing and was now just sitting there, one of his hands balled up in a fist. Unlike most people, I believed that revenge could work sometimes, and revenge was what I figured Shadow was promising. At a time like this, I couldn't speak a word. I looked away. I couldn't bear to look at Maria again. I had never seen a dead human body in person before, and it haunted me with a chill that I would always remember.

Eventually, I heard "Go." Shadow had said it, and he said it as if _I_ had done something heartbreaking to him. I looked at him once, instantly looking away. I had never seen anyone give me a more irritated look. His eyes seemed to pierce me with a sword of guilt. I instantly got up and ran away, crying. I went as far as I could until I decided that if I went any further, I would get lost. I went into the nearest room, sitting down against the wall, crying harder than I ever had in my entire life. I tried to get myself to stop. I didn't like the sound of my own sobs. Eventually, I was able to sit quietly, tears streaming down my face.

I looked around, wondering whether to plan on staying in this room forever. Something I'm okay with admitting is that I don't have a very strong shield over my feelings, making me a very sensitive person. My feelings were easily hurt with the piercing look Shadow gave me, and in the way he told me to leave. I knew that the death of his best friend had changed him. What also shocked me was the contrast between now and his previous ways. I had expected him to let me comfort him, but instead, he treated me like an abomination.

I laid down on the ground, about ready to go to sleep. Sleep seemed to make everything in life better for me. At least Dreamland would be a temporary retreat.

And suddenly, I developed a fear for Shadow. That look in his eyes must have made my mind classify him as dangerous. It was as involuntary as a reflex. No matter what, I knew I wouldn't want to talk to him for a while. He had scared all the words out of me.

I didn't remember what I dreamt. After my nap, I was technically awake, but my eyes were still closed. I wanted to make this nap last as long as possible. Possibly long enough that someone on Earth would call another search for me.

I eventually gave up on sleep. My eyes suddenly crept open. And Shadow was staring down at me.

**Author's note: Fellow fanfic writers, if you need a suggestion of music to listen to while writing, I've got one. His name is Roy Todd, and I listen to him whenever I write anything to be posted to . By the way, I hope you're enjoying this!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's note: Don't complain because the details aren't exactly correct. This fanfiction is from a sort of altered timeline.**

Seeing him made me jump a bit, but I quickly calmed down. I sat up, sitting against the wall, asking "What do you want?" in a hopeful tone. I was utterly surprised that he was not by Maria's side right now. I thought he'd stay there forever. He had just watched a dear friend die before his eyes.

"I just came to say that I'm… sorry for snapping at you like that," he told me. Sadness still seemed present in his voice.

"…It's okay," I replied. "I understand that you're in pain."

"Well…" he said, standing up. "I must go and plan out how I'm going to avenge her."

I know what I said before. I believe that revenge can solve some things. But soldiers… the law?! This was certainly not one of those things. As much as it hurt, I had to realize that if Shadow did what I thought he was planning to do, a LOT of trouble was going to result. Somehow, I couldn't just let him.

"Are you sure revenge is really the answer?" I asked nervously.

"You clearly don't understand what they've done to me," he said harshly. "They haven't just killed someone I knew. They killed my other half. They killed the only friend I had. They took the life of the most innocent living being I had ever known. Do you _seriously_ expect me to leave that alone?!"

"I-I guess not!" I responded, paralyzed with fear. "Isn't there something else you can-"

"NO!" he shouted.

"W-Will you be… going to Earth?" I asked, extremely quietly.

"…No," he said, way more calmly.

At that, right before my eyes, he disappeared. Disappeared in a flash of blue.

After staring at that spot for a few seconds, I got tired of the room I was in, stood up, and walked out. Putting my face against the nearest window, I looked at Earth, the beloved planet I called home. It was more beautiful than ever now. Tears streamed down my face as constant reminders ran through my head. It killed me inside knowing that I would never again walk under a blue sky (even though I actually liked cloudy weather way better). I would never hear the soft, comforting sound of raindrops outside my window. I would never walk on soft grass again. I would never smell any fragrance but that of the short area of air I was trapped in. I would never see my loved ones again. As a matter of fact, I wouldn't see anyone but a dead epitome of innocence and an anthropomorphic hedgehog who seemed to have gone insane. Other than to return to Earth, the one thing I longed for was love. Even if it wasn't romance. I just wanted someone to let me know they cared for me. I felt all alone here, and I thought it was going to be that way forever.

Shadow was gone for days. I could tell because I saw the greenish-brownish continents on Earth be both lit and shaded, in a recurring pattern, at least twice.

Everyone else but Shadow thought I was dead. After the first day, I was reassured that I'd always be alone. Quite frankly, I couldn't take it anymore. I instantly knew that this would be the end of me. Literally.

On the 3rd day, I walked around until I found a latched door. It was only latched by a big wheel on the front. I'd be gone once I turned it enough. I remember that I stood over Maria's body and spoke some words.

"I'm glad you aren't alive to see the monster your best friend has turned into," I sighed. "Then again, I wish you were still alive so that I would never be alone on this huge chunk of space debris that's supposed to be a research lab."

I wanted to close off on something meaningful, but I couldn't think of anything. I slowly walked to that door I found and gripped the wheel. It was surprisingly possible to turn, but it still took strength. It took the power from my determination to die.

It gradually became looser and looser until I knew that it would become open soon. Open, to the emptiness of outer space. I thought Shadow would never return.


	4. Chapter 4

Before I allowed the entrance of the very terminator of my life, I decided to think about it one more time. Once I did this, there'd be no turning back, and if I decided against it, I could always have the option to go the other way.

But as you have hopefully picked up, there was no meaning to life anymore for me. I was all alone. And it was driving me fatally insane. It was almost literally tearing me apart.

So I eyed the door one more time, ready to open it.

When I heard "NO!" from behind me. I jumped, my hands coming off of the wheel.

Running toward me was the absolute last living being I had expected to see. He HAD returned. Right after I had lost all hope of seeing him again, there he was. For a second, I thought my eyes were deceiving me. Not only was he here, but he actually looked _worried_. Was this some sort of sorcery?

When he stopped, I snapped "And why not, Shadow?"

"It's because you thought you were all alone here, isn't it?" he asked, more calmly. "Juliet… you are anything but alone here." He began to stare deeply into my eyes. "I'm here."

"What about your vow to avenge Maria?" I asked. "I thought you would go through with it even if it took your entire life, either in an instant or… over time."

"The moment they shot her down," Shadow explained. "I took all 5 of them down. I was just about to approach the headquarters on Earth. Then, it hit me that I had gone there for nothing. I had already taken down the guy I needed to kill. I was also convinced by people that were talking about it around me. Apparently, I was all over the news. They didn't like me, so I had to wear a disguise, but through the hood I had on, I heard them speak in disgust about the soldier who killed Maria. They said he had no right to do it. That it should have been me, but that did not concern me. What hit me was that the humans _cared_. That only some of them are selfish and cruel."

I was amazed. I was rendered speechless.

"And it also hit me that I had left you here alone," he added. "So that's when I decided to come back. Back to stay."

Here, I started to tear up. His speech had gradually overwhelmed me with happiness, and I immediately hugged Shadow. To add to the joy, he hugged me back.

"Oh, Shadow," I cried. "I thought you'd never return. Without you, I was being torn apart inside. Life slowly lost meaning until I finally decided on trying to open that door…. You saved me, Shadow…"

"Don't cry, Juliet," he told me. "It's alright now."

I no longer had any reason to be depressed. And that remained the fact for what was probably months. We still always found something to do, whether it be to play a game, to have extremely lengthy and passionate conversations about life, plan for the future, or to tinker around with any computers we could access.

Yes, I still did shed tears sometimes. Almost every time, they were tears of nostalgia that came with memories from Earth. Shadow picked up on this _every_ single time and was always quick to wrap me in his arms and whisper sweet words in my ear. Every time, this made me happy once again. I soon came to realize that not a single person on Earth had ever cared for me nearly as much as Shadow does.

But the interesting thing is that for all those months, the one thing that never came up at all was the subject of romance, love, or any sort of affection that was more than what we already had.

I remember that in the later months, passionate feelings began to swell in my heart whenever we'd touch. I shooed it off at first, but gradually, it became more and more difficult to do so. I eventually had to accept that I was falling in love with him.

I fell asleep that night, certain facts repeating themselves over and over in my head until I drifted off to Dreamland, where I saw Shadow every single night, in a LOT of different scenarios, some that I can't even explain. I was perplexed by the fact that I was a human, yet I was falling in love with a hedgehog. Well, he was like a human in almost every other way. He spoke English, he had human feelings, he had human thoughts… he almost seemed like a human in disguise.

Eventually, the subject finally came up. It was a calm time, when we were talking about plans for the future while I was observing the insides of an abandoned computer.

"Juliet," he had said. "Uh… h-have you ever realized the fact that we're the only living beings up here?"

He seemed more nervous than usual. My eyes widened a bit.

"Yeah," I replied. "I know."

"Well, knowing that," Shadow said. "I've begun to feel something… different. You've been my only living friend forever now, but… I feel like somehow… I want our relationship to be… more than that… I'm feeling an attraction to you that's different than anything I've felt before. I've heard of it before, and I think I'm feeling it."

"I-I think I feel the same way," I replied. "Isn't it called 'love'?"

"Love! That was the word I was looking for!" said Shadow.

I scooted closer to him. We were suddenly hugging each other.

"I know it now," I whispered. "I love you, Shadow."

"And I know now that I love you, too, Juliet," he smiled. "It's making me unusually happy."

"That's normal," I laughed.

And after a moment of silence, he suddenly leaned down and kissed me. My first kiss… ever. I felt happier than I ever had in my entire life. I practically melted into his arms, and that is where I stayed until we both fell asleep.

And that's my story. I'm Shadow's lover, and I don't remember ever being happier.

You should probably be going back to Earth, huh? Before Shadow returned, I would have been more than grateful to come with you. But Earth's responsibilities will get in the way of our relationship. If Earth were ever to find out I'm still alive, I'd have to go back and leave Shadow here. I'd have to go back to the place where nobody loves me enough for it to count. I would never feel the comforting affection that Shadow gives me. But I can trust that you understand me and will allow me to stay here, right?

It was nice of you to listen to me. Goodbye. Perhaps we'll see each other again someday. I must go. Shadow told me to meet him somewhere soon. He's never said this before. He keeps hiding some sort of small object from me. I wonder what's going on here…

* * *

**Author's note: I hope you realized by now that I didn't mean for this to be canon. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it! Leave a review here, and possibly on my other works, if you decide to check them out! **


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